The Way of the World
by earthlydreamz
Summary: Finale spoiler! Takes place after the finale and deals with how Jane and Lisbon cope with the aftermath of their latest case. First fanfic so please R&R! Jisbon centered. Chapter 5/5 UP. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – **SPOILER ALERT** Set after the finale so if you have not watched that yet I recommend you stop right here. (In any case, I thought the finale was great and cannot wait until next season.) **

**My first fanfic so please read and review! I am not quite sure where this is going so any ideas are more than welcome. Definitely a Jisbon centered fic…unless I get some good ideas for the other characters. :)**

**Disclaimer ****– ****I do not own any part of The Mentalist.**

Chapter 1

4:17 A.M.

In the warm comfort of her bed Lisbon tossed and turned, haunted by a dream that seemed all too real…

_A gun was pointed straight at her, Hardy's finger on the trigger and ready to shoot her right then and there. Lisbon's reaction was nowhere near fast enough to stop him and she realized she was at the mercy of the deranged man. Hardy gripped the handle tightly, grinning down the barrel of the gun at Lisbon._

_A shot rang out and Lisbon felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Looking down, she saw that the bullet had met its mark and the front of her purple shirt was now covered with a dark stain. Lisbon slumped to the ground, leaning against the car behind her as everything went black._

Suddenly, Lisbon jolted awake, clutching her pillow in terror.

"It's okay Teresa, you're fine," she breathed out, still in a panic from the nightmare.

She couldn't stop herself from shaking and sat up, hugging the pillow for comfort until the tremors stopped. Lisbon quickly went over the event in her mind, recalling the shock she felt when she realized she was still intact and Hardy was on the ground in front of her, choking up blood.

_Looking left, Lisbon saw Jane standing there with smoke trailing from Hardy's gun, a stunned expression written on his face. Frozen where she was, words had failed Lisbon as she gaped at the man who just saved her life. At that moment she had wanted nothing more than to run to Jane and hug him._

"Mmm," she mused as she imagined what that outcome would have been. Feelings began to arouse the fire within Lisbon as she fought to extinguish the thoughts that ran rampant through her mind.

Now fully awake, Lisbon knew she was not going to be getting anymore sleep tonight, so she got up and out of bed. Walking to her kitchen she threw on a robe and tied it around her waist. The fridge was bare; she had forgotten to go to the grocery store due to everything that had occurred.

"Damnit," she muttered to herself as she shut the door. Not only did Lisbon forget to restock her fridge, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she forgot something else, something important. Lisbon rummaged through her shelves until she located the loaf of bread she had purchased a few days ago. Popping a couple pieces into the toaster, Lisbon then proceeded to turn on the coffee machine. If she was going to be kept awake by the recent case Lisbon figured she might as well stay up until heading to the office.

Lisbon sighed as she resigned herself to sitting on her couch, waiting for the toast and coffee to finish. Closing her eyes she recalled her conversation with Jane at the beginning of the case.

"_Look at the toenails"_

"_Yeah I see them," Lisbon replied averting her eyes from Jane.  
_

"_Painted in her own blood, just like my wife. This is Red John and he wants to make sure I was on this case."_

"_It's strange, I'll give you that," Lisbon admitted, "but you're jumping to conclusions." Lisbon continued to explain when she was cut off by the sound of a plane overhead. The sight she stared up at made her blood run cold._

_A taunting smiley face was drawn in the sky, marking the body of the 19-year-old girl._

_At that moment Lisbon knew that her gut instinct was accurate, despite her hopes that it was just another copycat. Red John had struck again. And this time, he was toying with Jane, daring him to seek his revenge._

Lisbon opened her eyes and realized her toast was done. She walked over, poured herself a cup of coffee and applied some jam to her toast, taking a seat at her dining table. Munching on a piece of toast, Lisbon couldn't clear her head of the look Jane gave her upon discovering just how close he had been to Red John.

The mask was gone, anger and hurt were etched in Jane's features as he reminded Lisbon of their arrangement and her betrayal. She wasn't so sure she would be able to defend her actions again. Not after what Jane did for her. Shooting a man to save her life, and not just any man, the one person that knew the identity of Red John, proved that Lisbon was right. He had chosen life, he chose to save Lisbon's life and end the one of the man who was the last known link to his wife and child's killer. And although Lisbon was grateful she was right about him wanting life, she felt uneasy as conflicted emotions ran through her mind concerning the blue-eyed pseudo-psychic.

Letting out a groan, Lisbon finally remembered what she had forgotten to do before heading home. The consultant had shot and killed a man which meant she had a lot of paperwork to fill out. Getting up, Lisbon set her plate and mug in the sink before going to change. Lisbon figured she might as well head over to start on the pile of paperwork that surely awaited her.

*************************************

5:42 A.M.

Walking into the CBI Headquarters building early in the morning was not unusual for Lisbon, but she noticed it was eerily quiet as she had never been in before 6 A.M. Nodding to the guards as she made her way past security, Lisbon stifled a yawn. She looked down at her watch and calculated she only managed to get a few hours of sleep. Hopefully today would be uneventful, since Lisbon reckoned the whole team deserved a light day.

Lisbon opened the door to her office and flicked on the light, jumping back at the unexpected sight in front of her. It was Jane, reclined back in her chair, fast asleep.

"Jane?" she whispered.

When the blond haired man didn't move, Lisbon walked over and lightly shook his shoulder.

"Jane." This time with a little more force in her voice Lisbon managed to get him to stir.

"Mmm," Jane grunted. His eyes blinked open and he looked directly at Lisbon, a soft smile spreading across his face. Lisbon felt her heart skip a beat and she realized they were probably the only two in the office.

"Morning Lisbon, you're here awfully early, even for you."

"Jane, what the hell are you doing in my office? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I wanted to talk to you about the last conversation we had."

Lisbon took a deep breath and walked over to sit down across from Jane.

"I have some things I need to say too."

**TBC?**

**A/N – Thanks for reading my first fic! Please review and feel free to offer any suggestions/ideas. ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Wow, thanks for the encouraging reviews everyone! I decided to get started on this chapter right after I posted the first chapter. I just had to post this tonight, even though I haven't even started on the next chapter yet. ****The main parts of the story are circulating in my head; I just need to sort it all. ****All grammar and spelling mistakes are mine, even though I try my best to spot them.  
**

**Disclaimer – I do not own any part of The Mentalist. No matter how many times I wish I did. ;)**

Chapter 2

5:47 A.M.

Jane straightened up in Lisbon's chair, hands resting on his lap, his eyes scanning her face tentatively. Lisbon was seated across from Jane, hands gripping the arms of her chair as if holding on for life. Jane noticed Lisbon's edginess but couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked in her green blouse, despite the fact that she also looked exhausted.

"My dear Lisbon, you needn't be so worried." Jane said, giving Lisbon a small smile, trying to set her mind at ease.

"I'm not worried, just anxious" replied Lisbon, lifting her chin a little higher to meet his gaze.

Jane waved off her excuse, "Meh, I don't see a difference."

"Fine then. What did you need to tell me so urgently that you slept in my office?" Lisbon arched an eyebrow and looked at Jane questioningly.

"Well…I just wanted you to know that…" Jane's voice trailed off as he rubbed his hands together, almost like he was wishing the words would turn up magically.

"Look I – I just wanted to thank you for what you did. You saved my life. You saved my life when you could have let Hardy just shoot me. I know what he meant to you and I will be forever grateful for it." Lisbon's voice shook when she thought of what else she could say, but she bit back her tongue. Telling him more than he needed to know right now would not be in anyone's best interest.

Lisbon stared at Jane, but his face was unreadable. An impish grin appeared at the corners of his mouth and Jane cocked his head to one side.

"So does this mean you owe me?"

"What? No – I've saved your ass plenty of times, do I really need to remind you?" chided Lisbon, slightly taken aback by his jovial comment. Jane's lack of maturity made her wonder why he was so uncomfortable about the issue when he brought it up himself.

"Well I am the one with a semi-death wish now aren't I?" said Jane, a dark glint in his eye.

"Seriously, Jane? Just spit out whatever it is you have to say already so I can get to work."

"We both know there are unresolved issues at hand that require fixing, Lisbon," Jane said quietly.

"But you know, some things you just can't fix. It's just the way of the world, isn't it?" Lisbon snapped at Jane, bracing herself for his reaction.

Instead of a quick reply, Jane just sat there, mulling over what he wanted to say to Lisbon. Hearing his words thrown back at him was like having ice water dumped on him. Although he was afraid to admit it out loud, Jane cared deeply for his green-eyed, raven-haired boss. The thought of almost losing the only woman that meant something to him, and in a non-platonic way, made his head spin. He needed Lisbon to hear him out, to try and understand how things had changed since their last conversation.

"Lisbon, you don't realize how much you mean to me," whispered Jane, his voice unsteady.

Jane's comment threw Lisbon completely off. Whatever she was expecting him to say, it definitely was not that. The confusion she felt must have been apparent on her face, because Jane spoke again.

"You are the one person I have complete faith in, Lisbon, and I hope you know by now you can trust me too. I have your back. Always."

An awkward silence filled the room, as Jane gazed at Lisbon's beautiful green eyes like he was trying to read her mind. Lisbon was lost in her thoughts, pondering over what she wanted to say to Jane, when someone knocked on the door.

Minelli poked a head in, spotting Lisbon sitting on the other side of her desk. He glanced around and then noticed Jane seated in Lisbon's chair.

"Lisbon, I need to speak with you in my office, unless I'm interrupting something?" A frown crept at the corners of Minelli's mouth; his forehead wrinkled as confusion swept over his face.

"Not at all, Lisbon and I were just finishing up. She'll be there in just minute." Jane gave a small wink and a nod before Minelli rolled his eyes in response.

"One minute Lisbon." Minelli held up a single finger as if to emphasize his point.

"Yes sir, I'll be right there." Lisbon had finally managed to find her voice. Minelli shut the door and Lisbon spun around to face Jane, finding him studying her expression.

"We can discuss this further if you want, or I can just drop the whole matter. It's your call Teresa." Jane said lightly.

Jane's use of her first name did not go unnoticed. It did not sound unpleasant coming from Patrick's mouth, it was actually something she could get accustomed to hearing. But right now she was Lisbon, not Teresa. And right now she needed to go talk to her boss before he really got ticked off.

"Jane, I need to go speak to Minelli. He's waiting." Lisbon stood up and starting moving towards the door.

"Go to your little meeting and when you get back, I'll be on my couch. If you want to talk you can come talk to me and if you don't, well…I won't bring it up again," said Jane, giving Lisbon an encouraging smile.

Lisbon nodded in agreement and strode out of her office without another word. Honestly, Lisbon wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Part of her wanted to never speak of the matter again. Yet the other part of her desperately wanted to tell Jane how much she cared for him and that she did trust him. From what Jane had told her, she couldn't tell if he was being facetious to get back on her good side or if he was being honest. Then again, perhaps she had already said too much in their previous conversation, she didn't know if Jane had read between the lines or not.

Knocking on Minelli's door, Lisbon shoved her thoughts aside. The matter would have to wait until her boss was done chewing her out anyways. No point in worrying until then.

*************************************

6:23 A.M.

"_You should've waited. We agreed on that." Jane had stared at Lisbon with utter contempt seething through him.._

"_What if Hardy had killed you right here?"_

"_And then he would've led you straight to Red John."_

"_You'd be dead," Lisbon tried again, pleadingly._

"_But you would have Red John."_

"_I don't think you mean what you say. I think you'd choose life."_

"_Well you think wrong."_

"_No. No, you think wrong. Can't you see there's people who care about you, who need you? You're being selfish and childish, and I want you to stop it."_

"_I wish that I could, but, you know, some things you just can't fix. You needn't be angry, it's just the way of the world."_

"_We still have Hardy. He's gonna talk. He's gonna give us Red John."_

"_Right, we have Hardy. Yes."_

The scene played out in Jane's mind over and over, cruelly reminding him of the irony of the situation. Lisbon had mentioned Hardy, as if he was the consolation prize for not catching Red John. And then Jane had shot and killed Hardy, to save Lisbon's life.

Despite everything, Jane knew he would make the same decision again. Despite Lisbon betraying their agreement, Jane knew he would choose to save her and kill Hardy. Despite it all, Jane knew that he would do anything to keep Lisbon safe. Jane had never been happier to be wrong, and for Lisbon to be right, even if she was only bluffing initially. He had chosen life; he chose life with Teresa. Now if only she could understand that. If she could just see how her words had changed him.

Jane got up, out of Lisbon's chair, and walked out of her office, his mind busy with all the thoughts flooding his head.

*************************************

6:42 A.M.

Lisbon emerged from Minelli's office, walked into the bullpen, preparing herself to say what needed to be said. She paused, looking around and then realized something was amiss.

Jane was nowhere to be found.

**TBC!**

**A/N – Sorry to leave you all with another cliff hanger. It's just **_**so much fun**_**. ^_-**

**P.S. – I'm intentionally making each chapter at least over 1,000 words. Unless people prefer shorter ones? Let me know, with more of your lovely reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Thanks once again for all the reviews! I now have the basic outline for the rest of the story done, yay! All grammar and spelling mistakes are mine, special thanks to Frogster for pointing out one I made multiple times in the last chapter. ****Just had to upload for you all, have a great weekend everyone. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own any part of The Mentalist…sadly. **

Chapter 3

7:18 A.M.

The senior agent found herself buried in the load of paperwork that stemmed from their recent Red John case. Of course there was the usual amount, but Lisbon also had to sort out the legal issues because Jane had shot a gun, and killed Dumar Hardy. She had done her best to explain to Minelli exactly how Jane came to lay his hands on that gun and why he had shot Hardy, but her superior still thought Jane needed some form of punishment. Or at least, what Jane would see as punishment.

Cho had come in around seven, said nothing more than his usual greeting to Lisbon, and settled down at his desk to look over some files. Even though he was glad that everyone had emerged from the case unscathed, Cho couldn't help wondering why Red John had changed his MO, again. From what they could gather, Red John had been at the house the whole time, watching what took place in the next room. It would have been all too easy for the man to overpower Lisbon, and Dumar would have surely been able to subdue Jane. Yet, he merely watched it all, allowing Lisbon to hold a gun to his "friend's" head, and then escaping before the rest of the team searched the building. All this told him, was Red John was even more devious than they had previously believed.

Rigsby and Van Pelt wouldn't be in until later, the time when they were actually required to arrive at work. Cho closed his eyes for a brief moment, grateful for the time in the morning when it was quiet and peaceful, before it became full of the hustle and bustle of a case. The atmosphere didn't last long. Opening his eyes, he saw Jane seated in front of him, coffees in one hand and a bag of donuts in the other, looking like a man on a mission.

"Hey Cho man," Jane greeted him cheerily.

"Hi Jane," replied the agent in a serious tone. "What can I help you with?"

"What makes you think I want something from you?"

"You come carrying goods, which I'm assuming is some sort of bribe for me, and possibly Agent Lisbon, since Rigsby and Van Pelt don't usually come in until later."

"Wow, that's a pretty good observation there, maybe I'm rubbing off on you."

"I should hope not," Cho said flatly. "Anyways, what did you want from me?"

A mischievous grin played across Jane's features as he leaned in to whisper something to Cho.

*************************************

The indistinct sound of conversation made its way to Lisbon's ears. "That's strange," she thought, "I didn't think Rigsby and Van Pelt would show up this early." Then it dawned on her, Jane had returned to the office.

Getting up quickly, she headed out to where the sound was trailing from. Spotting Jane sitting across the desk from Cho was shocking, to say the least. The consultant hardly ever sat at a desk, usually preferring to sit on them or place his belongings on. Most of his time was spent lying on the couch, which lately had become known as _his_ couch.

"Morning Lisbon, again," said Jane, breaking from his conversation with Cho, seemingly overenthusiastic to see her.

"Jane…where did you go?" Lisbon asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Donuts? Coffee?" Jane raised the bag of donuts and pointed to the cups of coffee sitting on Cho's desk.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at Jane, sometimes the man knew just which buttons to push. "I'll just take a coffee." Reaching past Jane, she picked up a coffee from the desk.

"What, no donut?" Jane's expression fell a little, "I assure you, you needn't be concerned about your weight; you look perfectly healthy to me."

"What? Who said anything about me being on a diet?" Lisbon responded quickly. Cho remained silent, suddenly very interested in the file he was holding.

"No one dear, I'm the so-called psychic, and you're translucent, remember?" Jane said, tapping the side of his temple with his index finger.

"I thought you said you weren't really psychic?" mused Lisbon.

"Well, I know I'm not, but you all still seem to think I am." Somewhat pleased with himself, Jane stood up from the chair. "Now, was there something you needed to talk to me about?"

"Actually, yes, there is. Can you step into my office for a minute?" Lisbon suddenly seemed nervous about discussing the matter in front of Cho.

"Sure thing Lisbon," Jane replied, stunning her with one of his 100-watt smiles. He followed behind Lisbon to her door, before yelling, "Cho, save some donuts for Rigsby, wouldn't want him complaining I didn't get him anything." Cho merely pretended not to hear him and continued reading.

"Meh, he'll save some, I doubt he would want to irk Rigsby." Said Jane, mostly to himself since Lisbon seemed distracted by her thoughts.

"Whatever, Jane, I called you in here for a reason." Lisbon stood behind her desk, holding onto the edges for support.

"Yes, and I'm here to find out that reason." Jane plopped himself down in the chair in front of her desk, settling in comfortably.

"You're not going to be too happy about this, but just remember it wasn't my decision…"

Now it was Jane's turn to be confused. "What do you mean…what wasn't your decision?"

Lisbon prayed he wouldn't overreact to what she needed to say next and took a breath.

"Minelli thinks it would be best if you took the rest of today off."

"What, you mean like a suspension?" Jane gazed at her in disbelief.

"No, more like a day of leave, just for today though." Lisbon tried to reassure him.

"But why? Did I do something wrong?" Jane looked perplexed at the orders Lisbon was relaying to him.

"Well, he seems to believe that you might do more harm than good right now, since we're all wrapping up the case today."

"And what did you say to him?"

"I didn't argue…he is my boss after all." Lisbon skirted around the question, unsure what to say.

"I see. So even after all this, you still don't quite trust me, is that about right?"

"I – I don't know, Jane. Honestly, I don't know what to think at this point." Jane looked into her eyes and saw she was telling him the truth. Lisbon truly didn't know whether or not to trust him, despite all they had gone through. A wave of sadness swept over Jane as he resigned himself not to argue the matter any further.

"It's alright Lisbon; I understand. I'll see myself out."

Jane stood abruptly and slowly walked towards the exit, desperately trying to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind. He reached the hallway before turning around to look at Lisbon, giving her a cheerless smile, and then continuing to head out.

The expression Jane wore on his face sent a sharp pang of guilt through Lisbon. Seeing him upset, bothered Lisbon more than she thought it would, almost more than when he stared at her with mixed anger and iciness. To be fair, she wasn't sure a day off would do Jane any good, but Minelli seemed to think it would, so she had decided not to fight her orders. Although after seeing the look Jane gave her, Lisbon wished she had.

*************************************

10:36 A.M.

"_Tell you what…I'll try and persuade Red John to kill you quick and clean instead of slow…nasty." Dumar said with a crazed grin._

"_Turn around and shut up!"_

"_Heh heh heh…"_

Jane couldn't get the sound of Hardy's laugh out of his head. It was haunting him how Hardy had made it seem like she was already a target for Red John. As if he had already marked her as one of his next victims. Anger rushed over him, as the thought of Red John harming Teresa entered his mind.

Jane flipped open his cell and punched a speed dial button. The phone rang and rang, until he reached voicemail. Rubbing his eyes and sighing, Jane decided to leave a message, even though he wasn't sure what to say. "Hey Ter – er, Lisbon…"

*************************************

6:12 P.M.

Lisbon had finally finished up with all the paperwork she had to do, thankful that her team was not given a new case; everyone needed a break and today was just that. Packing up her belongings, Lisbon headed out the door to her car when she noticed she had a missed call and new voicemail waiting for her. Both were from Jane. Wondering what on earth he would want to say to her, she hopped into the driver's seat and pushed a button to listen. After the message was finished, Lisbon sat still in disbelief at what she had just heard.

Eyes closed, she played the message a second time, making sure she had heard correctly. A faint smile spread across her lips as she listened to the last few words again.

**~~~~TBC!**

**A/N – Yes, a mysterious phone call from Jane. I wonder what he told Lisbon, I bet you all wonder too. Let me know what you think with a review. ;D  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – I never knew that typing with acrylic nails was so difficult, in addition, trying to peel them off before they are ready to come off on their own hurts quite a bit. That being said, I finally managed to get them off so I could finish typing this up for you all. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and continues to do so! All grammar and spelling mistakes are mine.  
**

**Disclaimer – I do not own any part of The Mentalist.**

Chapter 4

_Jane emerged from the house, unsure of what to do with his hands, had placed them in his coat pockets. He took in the scene in front of him, Teresa was consoling Maya, and Hardy was out cold, handcuffed to a stretcher._

_A quick movement, from out of the corner of his eye, caught his attention. Hardy was awake, slowly moving his hand to something in his pocket. Jane cautiously picked up the gun the forensics team had just placed in the SUV next to him. _

_Gripping the rifle firmly, Jane braced himself in anticipation. Suddenly, Hardy sat up, grabbed the gun from the deputy next to him and shot him. Then he turned to aim directly at Teresa._

_Two shots rang out. Jane had managed to get a direct hit at Hardy, but not before the man shot first. In horror, Jane turned to his right where Teresa had her hands clutched to her stomach, slowly sinking to the ground, her purple shirt stained red with blood. Jane ran to her, and held her in his arms, watching her fade before his eyes. She tried to whisper something to him, but before she could finish, she was gone. Just like that, another person who had come to mean something to him was taken from him. _

Jerking awake, Jane was slightly surprised he had managed to fall asleep at all. Then again, he had most likely fallen asleep thinking of Lisbon if he woke up dreaming about her. Despite it being a nightmare, Jane soon felt at ease, thinking of her being safe and alive.

Rubbing his eyes, he got up quickly to shower and get dressed. As the blond haired man stood in front of the mirror, buttoning his vest, he realized, today was finally the day.

*************************************

Waking up to the sound of her alarm clock, Lisbon groggily hit the snooze button. She lay in bed, trying to remember what she had been dreaming about. It was such a good dream, the best she'd had in a long while.

Instead of another nightmare revolving around the events of their Red John case, she had dreamed about Patrick Jane. It was something new, but the thought of it excited her.

Jane's message from last night played in her mind again, reminding her of the dream.

"_Hey Te – er, Lisbon. I just need you to know, if I had to do it over again, I would do it the same. I would protect you, without a doubt. And I forgive you, you did what you had to do and what you thought was right. I can't blame you for that. I care about you and I hope – I hope that means something, to you."_

A grin spread across her face as she snuggled back into the comforts of her pillow, hoping for a few more minutes of bliss.

*************************************

Lisbon walked into the bullpen later than usual, surprised to find the whole team already there. Rigsby and Van Pelt were at their respective desks, immersed in their work or at least appearing to be. Jane on the other hand, was seated in front of Cho's desk, engaged in conversation with him, for the second day in a row.

She headed over to find out what the two were discussing so discreetly.

"Oh, morning Lisbon," Jane greeted her, a huge grin plastered across his handsome features.

"Hey boss," Cho grunted, then returning his eyes to the work in front of him.

Lisbon nodded in acknowledgment before asking, "What are you bothering Cho about now, Jane?"

"Just asking him about why he won't date. Apparently, he was set up with someone's niece, but refuses to ask her out."

"Since when do people's personal lives become work related?" Lisbon asked sarcastically.

"Well, he actually was introduced to her through work, so in that sense, it is work related."

"You know what I meant Jane, leave Cho alone to do his work in peace."

"But she's a very attractive woman. Isn't that right Rigsby?" Jane offered.

"Yes, I would say so." Rigsby nodded enthusiastically.

"See, it's a no-brainer," Jane said, returning his attention back to Lisbon.

Lisbon rolled her eyes and stalked off towards her office. She heard Jane come in behind her, but continued to ignore his presence.

Jane closed the door behind him, teasing, "Don't worry my dear, she's got nothing on you."

Avoiding eye contact, Lisbon noticed the half-sincerity in his voice, wondering what he was playing at now. Butterflies fluttered around inside of Lisbon as she fought to control the flush that crept up her neck and cheeks. She took note that something was different about him, but couldn't quite pinpoint it.

*************************************

Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Cho watched as Jane followed Lisbon into her office, all thinking very different thoughts.

Van Pelt was the first to vocalize her idea. "I bet you Jane will finally make a move on Lisbon."

"Nah, he doesn't see her in that way." Rigsby dismissed the claim.

"Why not? He obviously cares for her," said the red haired agent, rebuffing the dismissal.

Rigsby still seem unconvinced. "Come on, I mean she's Lisbon, our boss?"

"Whatever he's doing, he better not screw up," Cho spoke up from behind the computer screen he was looking at.

"Screw what up?" Both agents turned to look at Cho in bewilderment.

The dark haired Asian man merely grinned as he kept his thoughts to himself.

*************************************

The senior agent and the consultant stood in silence as each tried to come up with something to say. Their previous conversation in that office had not gone over so well and each was well aware.

"Thank you for you message last night, Jane," Lisbon said, breaking the ice.

"Oh, not a problem. I'm glad you received it, otherwise I would have to say it all over again to you in person."

"So…did you do anything productive with your day off?" Lisbon asked tentatively, unsure whether she really wanted to know the answer.

A sly grin crept over Jane's face, "You'll just have to come and see." Reaching forward, he took Lisbon's hand in his own and began leading her towards the door. Her hands felt small and warm in his, and he tightened his grip, feeling her respond to his touch.

Lisbon got over the initial shock of Jane's touch and allowed herself to be led away, enjoying the sensation of holding his hand. She looked down and realized the difference she couldn't figure out earlier. Jane's wedding ring was noticeably absent.

**TBC…**

**A/N – Yay for Jisbon fluffiness. Reviews make me happy! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Last chapter everyone! Sorry for the delayed update. Lots of things going on and not all of them are good. (I lost the jump drive which had the story on it and never found the time to rewrite it, until right now since I'm sick at home.) Please read and I hope you enjoy. :-***

**Disclaimer ****– ****I do not own any part of The Mentalist.**

Chapter 5

Lisbon had looked down and saw that his wedding ring was nowhere to be found, but decided against saying anything about it. Jane continued to hold Lisbon's hand, leading her outside the CBI Headquarters building to his car, and then opened the passenger door for her.

"What are you doing?" Lisbon asked with a questioning look.

"Opening the door for you," said Jane with a grin on his face.

"Well no duh. I mean where are we going?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." He motioned again for her to sit.

Lisbon grudgingly sat down on the passenger side and Jane shut the door behind her, walking around to get into the driver's seat.

"Jane, what if Minelli notices we're both gone? I'll get in trouble, and so will you," asked Lisbon, once Jane was inside the car.

"Nah, I highly doubt Minelli will notice, since we usually go off on our own during cases, and if he does, I've got Cho to take care of that little problem." Jane said, tapping the pocket in his suit that held his cell phone.

Lisbon looked taken aback. "Cho is in on this?"

"Of course dear, I'm always thinking a step ahead." Jane said, before stating, "Plus, you deserve a break Lisbon, you looked exhausted the last time I saw you."

"I'm not exhausted now, am I?" Lisbon said defiantly.

"Actually, no, you don't. You look well rested. Have a good dream last night, Agent Lisbon?" Jane asked mockingly.

Lisbon could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks and she was glad Jane chose not to say anything even though he must have noticed her blushing.

They drove in silence until arriving at the driveway of a residence that Lisbon had never been to before. Jane got out and walked around to open the door, but Lisbon beat him to it, already stepping out of the car.

"Where are we?"

Without responding, Jane walked up to the front door and removed a set of keys from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he turned to Lisbon.

"Don't fret, I wouldn't lure you into my house to seduce you because that would be – "

"Sophomoric. Yes I know, Jane. Why are we here then?"

"I need to show you so you can understand."

Walking through the living room, he motioned for Lisbon to follow him up the stairs. She closed the door behind her and crossed the room, taking note of the bare furnishings of the house.

Halfway up the stairs, Jane stopped and looked hesitant for a moment before speaking, "I'm ashamed to say, I hated watching Maya return to her family, safe and sound. I hated watching it because it reminded me of how I failed to save my own family. It reminded me that no matter what I do, it won't bring them back to me."

"I'm so sorry Jane, I didn't realize –"

Jane held up a hand, cutting Lisbon off before she could finish.

"But I realize now that I did help save another life, yours. You truly do mean a lot to me Teresa."

Lisbon felt her heart pounding in her chest and fell speechless at Jane's statement. He continued walking up the last few steps to reach a door at the end of the hallway. Hand on the doorknob, Jane watched her face as he tried to explain.

"I want you to understand, so please hear me out," Jane looked at her pleadingly.

Lisbon nodded in agreement and he turned the knob, revealing what was behind the door. A gasp escaped her mouth as she realized what the room was.

A red smiley face stared back at her, marking where Jane's family had been murdered. Underneath the face was a simple mattress and next to it was a can of paint and paint brush. Jane walked over to a dresser in the room, opened a drawer, and removed a chain. On it was his wedding ring. Holding it up so Lisbon could see, Jane placed it back in the drawer.

"My ring and the smiley face were constant reminders of that failure, and my improbable quest to bring revenge upon Red John."

Jane took Lisbon's hands in his own and held them gently. "I don't need those reminders of my past anymore; I am living in the present and I look forward to the future – a future that I want you to be a part of, Teresa." He took one hand and lifted her chin, looking into her beautiful green eyes.

Lisbon found herself lost in his gaze, her head spinning with overwhelming thoughts. The thought of him so close to her caused a hitch in her breathing. Unable to process what Jane had just said so clearly, Lisbon couldn't find the words to say to him.

"Unless of course, you still don't trust me," Jane dropped his hands and took a few steps backward, studying Lisbon for a reaction.

"Of course I trust you Patrick. I would trust you with my life," said Lisbon, her voice breaking slightly and tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Oh good, I thought you had become mute." Another of his dazzling smiles spread across his handsome face, erasing the uncertainty that was there previously.

"Just shut up and get over here," Lisbon said with a teary smile, and he crossed the room to close the space between them. He lifted one hand to wipe away the tears that stained her cheeks and held her in his arms, realizing that he never wanted to let her go. Lisbon tucked her head under his chin, resting against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Both were unsure of what lay ahead in the future, but they were at peace for the moment, and it was a beautiful, perfect moment.

_Life is beautiful__  
But it's complicated, we barely make it  
We don't need to understand  
There are miracles, miracles_

_Stand where you are  
We let all these moments pass us by_

_© Vega 4 – "Life is Beautiful"_

**A/N – Thank you all for reading my first fanfic and I hope you enjoyed it. Just thought I would share with you the song that gave me the idea. I realize that there can be many interpretations to its meaning, but in this particular context it just means that despite all the pain and suffering we come across in life, there are moments that we live for, the beautiful ones. And that's just the way the world works.  
**

***I never thought to try my hand at writing and I'm actually quite pleased with how this story came out. Reviews are loved & thanks to everyone who has reviewed! ^_^**


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